Chapter 157: Origin Fruit

A crisp shattering sound rang out! The Stone Spirit's massive arm was actually severed at the joint by a single sword strike! Together with that stone lantern, it plummeted toward the ground!

The Stone Spirit let out a silent roar, its colossal body trembling violently, the ghostly green flames in its eye sockets flickering unsteadily, its aura instantly withering by more than half. No blood flowed from the break, only dense Earth Spirit Qi dissipating outward.

Ling Xiao's figure flashed, catching the falling stone lantern. With a finger tap, he sealed away that wisp of "Heart-Burning Flame" attempting to escape. Though this flame was a killing move, if refined, it was also a rare Heaven-and-Earth Strange Fire.

Having lost the stone lantern and an arm, the Stone Spirit's threat greatly diminished. It seemed to have realized the terror of the person before it as well, no longer attacking. Its massive body slowly retreated, merging back into the pedestal at the center of the plaza. The flames in its eye sockets gradually extinguished, returning to dead silence. The vine phantoms around them also receded like a tide. Before long, the plaza returned to its previous tranquility, as if nothing had happened, leaving only the mess covering the ground to prove the fierce battle that had just taken place.

Luo Changfeng and Wei Yuzhu let out long breaths, their backs already soaked in cold sweat. That brief exchange just now, especially the pressure when the Stone Spirit awakened, let them truly feel the threat of death, and even more deeply experience the unfathomable depth of their Master's strength.

"Master, are you alright?" The two stepped forward with concern.

Ling Xiao shook his head, looking at the ancient stone lantern in his hand and the sealed blue flame thread, his gaze deep: "No matter. This guardian Stone Spirit retained not even one-tenth of its power; otherwise it would have been more troublesome. Both this Heart-Burning Flame and the stone lantern are treasures. You two keep them safe for now!"

The two nodded in acknowledgment. Seeing Ling Xiao walk briskly toward Shi Ran, they conversed in low voices, their eyes full of deep affection.

Luo Changfeng and Wei Yuzhu couldn't help but think of the persons in their hearts. But one was a demon and one a devil; in this lifetime they could never have such a moment. The two sighed simultaneously, couldn't help but glance at each other, then simultaneously turned their heads away!

Ling Xiao and Shi Ran exchanged only a few words before Ling Xiao began examining her condition again. After the fluctuations just now, Shi Ran's complexion seemed even paler, and the black qi at her brow showed faint signs of spreading. Clearly, the dense yet deathly resentful Earth Spirit Qi in this area had produced an adverse effect on the balance within her body.

"We must find the core of the Green Wood Ancestral Land, or the true source of vitality, as quickly as possible. We should not stay here long." Ling Xiao said in a low voice.

After resting a moment, waiting for Luo Changfeng and Wei Yuzhu to recover some spiritual power, the four set out once more, crossing the plaza and advancing toward the deeper reaches of the ruins.

The deeper they went, the stranger the surrounding scenery became. Those ancient tree phantoms grew more substantial, and one could even see fruits emitting faint light hanging among the branches and leaves. But on closer look, those fruits were actually curled-up Earth Spirits resembling infants, their auras pure yet carrying a hint of sinister strangeness. Traces of damaged formations began appearing on the ground. One could occasionally see fragments of magic treasures that had long lost their spirituality, as well as the white bones of giant beasts. They were all covered in thick green moss, as if they had been dead for tens of millions of years.

Along the way, they encountered danger several more times. Once they stepped into a seemingly peaceful meadow; the green grass beneath their feet instantly turned into hard, sharp root tendrils like blades, attempting to pierce them and drag them underground. Fortunately Ling Xiao detected the anomaly in time, plowing the earth three chi deep with sword qi, severing the source. Another time, they passed a silent lake. The water was clear to the bottom, yet reflected none of their shadows. Instead, countless twisted resentful spirit phantoms reached pale arms from the lake, letting out silent wails, trying to pull them into the water. In the end they were driven back by Ling Xiao's Pure Yang True Fire.

These perils left Luo Changfeng and Wei Yuzhu mentally and physically exhausted, but also gave them a more intuitive understanding of the dangers of the Sinking Star Sea and the Green Wood Ancestral Land. Their practical combat experience and vigilance improved considerably.

After advancing for who knows how long, the surrounding mist gradually grew denser. This mist was not water vapor, but condensed pure Earth Spirit Qi, presenting a faint green color. Within the mist, visibility was greatly obstructed; even divine sense struggled to penetrate far.

Suddenly, Ling Xiao halted his steps, signaling the two behind him to be silent.

From the dense fog ahead, the faint sound of flowing water could be heard, along with an indescribable, heart-refreshing strange fragrance. Inhaling this fragrance invigorated the spirit, dissipating much of the fatigue from days of travel. Even Shi Ran's tightly knit brows seemed to relax slightly.

"Be careful. It could be a trap, but it could also be an opportunity." Ling Xiao said softly, taking the lead toward the direction from which the water sound and fragrance came.

Passing through the dense spirit mist, the view before them suddenly opened up.

They had arrived at a small valley. In the center of the valley was a spring eye no more than a zhang in radius. The spring water was incomparably clear, emitting dense vitality. That strange fragrance emanated precisely from the spring water. Beside the spring eye grew a peculiar plant. It was only three chi tall, its entire body emerald green and dripping with vitality, shaped like an orchid yet not an orchid, like a grass yet not a grass. Its leaves naturally bore profound golden patterns. At its top hung a fruit the size of a longan, crystalline and translucent, blue-green in color. Liquid seemed to flow inside the fruit, emitting a soft and pure light.

Around this plant coiled substantial green spirit mist, as if it were the core of the surviving vitality of this entire valley, indeed of the whole Green Wood Ancestral Land remnant!

"This is... the 'Origin Fruit'?!" Wei Yuzhu, widely read and retentive, couldn't help but cry out in alarm, her face filled with incredulous wild joy. "The legendary divine fruit containing the purest innate Wood and Earth origin! It has the effect of reviving the dead and restoring flesh to bones! Wonderful, Ranran is saved!"

A glint also flashed through Ling Xiao's eyes. He could sense that the vitality power contained in this Origin Fruit was vast and gentle, precisely the supreme thing to resolve the deathly qi in Shi Ran's body! Its value even far surpassed that of ordinary Immortal Treasures!

However, his gaze soon fell on the other side of the spring eye. There, a skeleton sat cross-legged. The skeleton, having experienced who knows how many years, still maintained a white-jade-like luster, obviously possessing extremely high cultivation in life. The skeleton wore a Daoist robe that had long lost its spiritual light. Beside it lay a broken wooden sword, and an open jade box, empty inside.

The skeleton's finger pointed toward the Green Wood Origin Fruit.

And between the skeleton and the Green Wood Origin Fruit, an extremely complex ancient formation covering the entire valley was engraved on the ground. The formation lines were dim, yet one could still sense the terrifying power contained within. At the center of the formation, directly above the spring eye, floated a palm-sized token, neither metal nor wood, engraved with an ancient "Guard" character.

Clearly, this skeleton was the guardian here in life. Perhaps it was waiting for a destined person, or perhaps it was suppressing something. And that formation both protected the Origin Fruit and might be a kind of test, or... a trap.

Ling Xiao did not advance rashly. He carefully observed that skeleton, that token, and the layout of the entire formation. The skeleton bore no obvious wounds, as if it had sat in meditation until death. That token emitted faint spatial fluctuations.

"Senior, to save my disciple, this junior must borrow the Origin Fruit for a use. Please forgive the offense." Ling Xiao bowed slightly to the skeleton.

After the bow, he took a deep breath and stepped into the valley's range with one step.

The moment he stepped in, a sudden change erupted!

The ancient formation on the ground abruptly lit up! Countless green runes emerged from the ground, weaving into a great net that enveloped the entire valley! At the same time, that white-jade-like skeleton ignited two clusters of golden flames in its hollow eye sockets!

A will far stronger and more ancient than the previous Stone Spirit's descended with a boom!

"He who dares move the Origin Fruit... dies!"

A cold, majestic, utterly emotionless voice rang out directly in the depths of the four's souls!

The cold word "die" exploded like thunder in the three's consciousness seas, carrying indisputable majesty and sky-soaring killing intent. Luo Changfeng and Wei Yuzhu felt as if struck heavily; their faces instantly turned deathly pale, their souls shaken, almost forcing them to kneel. Shi Ran fainted once more. Even Ling Xiao's figure stalled slightly, feeling a pressure unprecedented until now. This remnant will's essential level was extremely high, far surpassing the previous Stone Spirit, like a glance cast across the long river of time by an ancient great power!

Hum—!

The valley floor's complex ancient formation fully activated. Countless green runes, like living tadpoles, swam and intertwined, rising up to form a huge hemispherical light barrier that inverted over the entire valley. Inside the barrier, space seemed frozen. Gravity suddenly increased several times over. The Earth Spirit Qi permeating the air turned violent and aggressive, like billions of fine needles piercing without gap into the intruders' flesh and souls.

The golden flames in the white-jade skeleton's eye sockets blazed fiercely. It slowly raised its arm of mere bones, pointing at Ling Xiao. Without sound, a more vast will power, mixed with the formation's might, transformed into an invisible shockwave blasting toward Ling Xiao!

This was not a pure energy attack, but a will crushing directly targeting the Primordial Spirit and Dao Heart! If the Dao Heart was not firm, the will weak, the soul would shatter and the Dao foundation be utterly destroyed in an instant!

"Hmph!" Ling Xiao coldly snorted. Brilliant divine light erupted in his eyes. He stood in place, his robes fluttering under the invisible pressure. His whole body emitted an indestructible, ten-thousand-laws-cannot-invade overbearing will. His Dao Heart, tempered through countless ordeals, had long been refined like vajra bedrock. How could a mere remnant will shake it?

Two invisible wills collided fiercely in the air. There was no earth-shaking boom, yet the entire valley's light barrier violently undulated, emitting a teeth-aching hum. Luo Changfeng and Wei Yuzhu muffled groans, a trace of fresh blood overflowing from the corners of their mouths. Merely witnessing this will-level clash inflicted internal injuries on them. Wei Yuzhu hurriedly pulled Luo Changfeng back to the valley edge, pouring full power into the Jade Ruyi to protect the two of them and the unconscious Shi Ran. Their eyes were filled with shock and worry.

"Senior's obsession is worthy of respect and awe. But my disciple's life hangs by a thread. This fruit I am determined to obtain! Forgive the offense!" Ling Xiao spoke in a clear voice, his tone clear and resonant, penetrating the barrier of the will clash, clearly reverberating in the valley. He no longer defended passively, but actively stepped forward one step!

This step seemed to trigger the formation's core killing move.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Inside the light barrier, those swimming green runes instantly condensed into countless green light swords, shooting toward Ling Xiao from all directions like a violent storm! Each light sword contained Wood-system Law power of utmost purity and unmatched sharpness, enough to easily tear apart a Nascent Soul cultivator's protective spiritual light.

Ling Xiao's expression did not change. His hands traced profound trajectories before him. Sword qi surged around him, yet not attacking outward, but forming an airtight Sword Intent domain around his body. Those green light swords shot into the domain, their speed plummeting as if mired in a swamp, then inch by inch shredded by invisible Sword Intent, transforming back into pure Wood Spirit Qi.

However, the formation's attacks were unceasing. After the light swords, the ground shook. Countless thick green vines burst from the earth. These vines were more substantial than those in the plaza before, their surfaces covered in a metallic luster, bearing backward-facing thorns. Like giant pythons they entwined, whipped, and pierced, coordinating with the light swords continuously condensing in the air. The offensive came like a tide.

Simultaneously, the golden flames in the white-jade skeleton's eyes flared again. Its raised arm pressed down in the void. Instantly, the space above Ling Xiao's head collapsed. A giant green palm condensed from pure Laws appeared out of thin air. Palm lines clear, like a Heavenly Dao palm seal, carrying the terrifying aura of suppressing all things and grinding everything to extinction, it slowly pressed down! Before the giant palm arrived, the heavy pressure had already caused the ground beneath Ling Xiao's feet to begin cracking and sinking.

Will crushing, light swords like rain, vines entangling the body, plus this Law giant palm! This combination of guardian formation and remnant will displayed an absolute killing situation!

Ling Xiao stood in the storm's center, his expression growing ever calmer. His mind raced; he had already seen that the core pivot of this formation was precisely that "Guard" character token floating above the spring eye! As long as he broke or controlled that token, the formation would dissolve on its own. And the carrier of that remnant will was precisely that white-jade skeleton!

"Changfeng, Yuzhu, protect Ranran well! Wait for the chance to interfere with the golden flames in that skeleton's eye sockets!" Ling Xiao transmitted via voice. At the same time his figure moved abruptly, no longer forcibly blocking all attacks. He slipped through the gaps between light swords and vines like a ghost, narrowly avoiding the Law giant palm's direct suppression zone.

The giant palm fell. Boom! It smashed a bottomless deep pit where Ling Xiao had just stood. The dissipating energy shock made the entire light barrier totter on the verge of collapse.

Seizing this opportunity, Ling Xiao joined his fingers like a sword. A sword qi condensed to the utmost, like lightning in the dark night, stabbed straight at the white-jade skeleton's skull! Capture the thief by first capturing the king!

However, that skeleton seemed to have anticipated this. Its other empty bone hand rose, five fingers spreading. A shield composed of golden runes instantly appeared before it.

Ding!

The sword qi struck the rune shield, emitting a gold-iron clanging sound, yet failed to penetrate! The golden flames jumped, conveying a mocking will fluctuation.

"An ant's power, yet dares shake heaven?"

The skeleton's other hand rose again. This time, it pointed toward Luo Changfeng and Wei Yuzhu at the valley's edge! Clearly, it had realized these two were Ling Xiao's weak point!

A condensed golden beam of light, imbued with terrifying destructive will, tore through the air and shot toward the two people protecting Shi Ran!